True Colors
by Kitake Neru
Summary: A two-part introspective piece on the Tatsugarde dynamics. Just how do they view themselves, and each other? Oga/Hilda, though not romantically.
1. Hilda

Standard disclaimer applies.

A/N: A little tidbit to keep you guys fed while I work on Grow On You. This is a two-part instrospection, first from Hilda and the second chapter will be Tatsumi's. Dig in!

**True Colors**

~ The Roles We Play ~

* * *

There was a world of difference between 'here' and 'there'. Here, the family of that insensitive, dense, musclebrained man-child called her 'Hilda-chan' in adoring tones. There, she was revered. Feared. Respected. She was Hilda-_sama_. She was the very last word in the ranks of Royal Nursemaids. No one dared to joke around her or with her. She was _somebody_.

Here, they called her just plain 'Hilda'. Or worse, 'Ogabride' or some other variation. She was pulled around, pushed, leered at, snide remarked, envied, crushed on. She was just a secondary character next to the larger than life powerhouse that was Tatsumi. She cooked, cleaned, yelled, threatened and punched her way around. She went to grocery stores and fought over a few yen. To humans she was just a cosplaying lolita-goth. To humans, she was nobody.

But somehow she liked it better here than there. There she was just a Royal Nursemaid and nothing but. Here she was a daughter-in-law, a wife (of sorts), a love rival, a blonde bombshell, a terrifying entity, a battle partner, the voice of reason. But behind all the masks she had to wear, she was also wearing none. She was Hilda here. People cowered at her feet because she was Hilda, not because she was a Royal Nursemaid. Tatsumi's family loved her because she was Hilda. Aoi was jealous of her because she was none other than Hilda. It was gratifying and yet terrifying to feel herself as an individual. It would be easy to lose her objective amidst all the roles she had to play.

And yet, the rough, uncouth youth kept her anchored. Every time he came into her space she was instantly reminded of the self she had to prioritize above all else. Because he was the only one who saw her not as a wife, not as a friend, not as anything but the Royal Demon Nursemaid, Hildegarde.

And to her, he would always be a damn fool.


	2. Tatsumi

****Standard disclaimer applies.

A/N: The companion piece to the first chapter. Sorry for any spelling and grammatical errors!

**True Colors**

~ Tatsumi ~

* * *

Oga Tatsumi was a man of action. He never spent more than five minutes pondering about an issue – not even something as monumental as raising a demon baby set to destroy humanity. He let his fists speak for him. He was no intellectual, nor did he pretend to be.

Oga Tatsumi was a man who knew who knew what he was. Badass Oga. Child-Carrying Oga. Oga the Ogre. Over the years such titles have been bestowed upon his head in fear and awe. Though they weren't flattering, he wasn't out to flatter anyone. He was content to be feared, because it meant he would be left in peace. Most of the time.

Oga Tatsumi was not eloquent. He didn't know how to give speeches, he didn't know the difference between an orator and a comedian. It was inevitable that he would always be misunderstood because of it, but he had survived all these years just fine and he wasn't going to change that.

Oga Tatsumi worked hard. On things he wanted, at least. He hated studying, he hated sports. But if push comes to shove he'd do it anyway. He learned how to play volleyball. He learned how to make Baby Belze's milk. He learned to master the Super Milk Time.

He learned to care.

In retrospect he supposed he could have chosen someone better to care about. But Hilda, despite her PMs-ing attitude and inhuman strength, was surprisingly easy to care for. She wanted little, asked for little, demanded a lot but recompensed him accordingly. She didn't ask for emotional understanding or other girly things that so perplexed him. She didn't need to be consoled, didn't need gifts. Heck, she didn't even care about compliments. She valued his strength, valued his attention on Baby Belze.

Simple.

Of course there was a drawback to being a man of action, a hardworking man, a man who knew what he was and caring for Hilda and Baby Belze. It meant that everything that he was, quite simply, was channeled into this one outlet - being a parent. He figured that give another year, he'd be a model father... and that rather pleased him. Because he found that he rather liked caring for Baby Belze and Hilda. He wouldn't say he liked her going all bitchy on him (as she was prone to, at times) but he liked the knowledge that someone in this world was walking with him, standing by him, fighting together instead of being against him or bowing at his feet.

One day, if he ever found the urge to string together a two-minute speech, he like to tell her something. He didn't have an idea how to say it nicely, but he figured if push comes to shove he'd just tell it as it was.

"I'm not the only parent he has in this world, y'know. You're here too."


End file.
